To ensure that students and their families have enough food this Thanksgiving, Salt Lake Community College is working to take stress off those who might be struggling heading into the holiday.
The community college currently has a network of food pantries across four different locations, but will plan on adding a fifth pantry when the Herriman campus opens. The goal at each of these locations is to help give students access to any and all meals they might need as well as the ability to take food home to their families.
Tim Davis runs the Thayne Center at Salt Lake Community College and believes that the pantry’s primary goal is to help students study. Davis says that by providing students and their families with necessary food, they don’t need to worry about their next meal and can instead focus entirely on their studies.
To make it all possible, SLCC relies on its partnerships with the Utah Food Bank and several local grocery stores including Smith’s. Volunteers are also essential in running a successful food pantry as any and all help is needed to keep students and families satisfied from every background, culture, and every dietary option ranging from vegan to vegetarian.
Bryant Jasper, a student volunteer, says that nobody should have to worry about food because there’s more than enough of it to go around. Davis also believes that helping students with their physical needs is just one of the many ways a meaningful difference can be made in the community.
